There’s nothing quite like a family board game night to wind down after a long week.
It’s the perfect opportunity to have a fun-filled evening with your family while earning some bragging rights (if you manage to win, of course.)
If you’re tired of the good old classics, such as Monopoly or Checkers, there are tons of enthralling board games that you can choose to keep the spirits flying high.
From solving murder mysteries to embarking on an amazing wizarding adventure, take a break from the monotony of real life, and immerse yourself in a captivating board game with your family members.
In this post, we’ll look at some of the best board games you can collectively enjoy as a family. So, put on your PJs and reserve your next Saturday with these engaging family board games.
How to Introduce Board Games to Family
Are you worried your family might hesitate about a board game night? That’s completely understandable. I mean, who plays physical board games in 2023 when you even have an app for UNO?
However, if you play your cards right (see what I did there?), you can convince your family for a fun night.
Before you cash out on an enchanting board game, it’s best to float the idea to your family members so everyone can be on the same page. You can discuss and unanimously choose the board game that everyone would enjoy.
Here are some tips to help you get started:
#1. Choose a Day and Time 🕑
If you spring up with the idea of a game night without a tentative day, the idea might not get executed. It’s good to work on the date and time, so everyone can save the date and not come up with excuses whenever you suggest an impromptu game night. Saturdays are ideal, as you’d get a holiday the next day.
#2. Know Your Audience 👥
Not all games are everyone’s cup of tea. While some would love a Harry Potter board game, muggles would probably abhor it. Don’t suggest something that you believe would get negative votes. It’s best to come up with something that matches the interests of your family members. Try not to push your suggestion and ask for input from everyone.
#3. Explain the Rules ✍🏻
If you’re introducing a brand new board game to your family, it’s important to familiarise them with the rules and get them excited.
They will be more motivated to participate when they know the ultimate prize and how to get it. Otherwise, they might end up playing just for the sake of it – and that’s no fun. Tell them how to win, and they’ll be all invested in the game.
#4. Bring Up the Benefits of Playing Board Games 🎲
Playing board games regularly comes with a lot of benefits. It can increase your brain function as it helps exercise your brain. It also lowers blood pressure, thanks to the endorphins (happy hormones) released because of all the amusement and laughter.
In addition, these games can improve a person’s self-confidence, boost creativity, and strengthen the relationship between the players. For families, these games can be beneficial in forming a greater bond.
Now that your family is all set for a delightful evening, here are the best board games you can give a shot to enjoy an excellent time.
Deluxe 221B Baker Street Board Game
Sherlock Holmes needs no introduction. From TV shows and movies to board games, the stories of the famed detective have been materialized in various ways. If your family loves detective stories and wants to solve a puzzling case, this game is perfect!
Deluxe 221B Baker Street Board Game can be played in two teams or cooperatively. As a cooperative game, all the members can team up to assist Sherlock Holmes in cracking the case. As you play, you’d be presented with clues to discuss with your teammates and plan your next move accordingly.
You’d get up to 200 intriguing adventures that can be played between 2-6 players. The game includes the board, cards, rules, clues, and the solutions booklet. You’ll get everything you need in the box to start rolling right away.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Deluxe 221B Baker Street Board Game - 200 Intriguing Adventures 2-6 Players |
$39.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
The best part? These Sherlock Holmes stories have been written primarily for the game. You can put your brain cells to use while solving the case and experience a magical night of storytelling where the world’s best detective is playing the lead. I can’t think of a better way to spend the evening!
Genre: Cooperative
Number of Players: 2-6
Minimum Age Recommendation: 14 and up
Spin Master Beat The Parents Classic Family Trivia Game
Parents or kids, who will wash the dishes? If you can’t decide, why not play a board game, and the loser does the chores?
Spin Master Beat The Parents Classic Family Trivia is an excellent game where the kids are pitted against their parents for the ultimate prize.
The rules are simple. Each team writes a wager before the start of the game. This could be anything from doing the dishes to taking out the trash. Then each team would read aloud a trivia question about their generation. This could range from TV shows the older generation watches to the cartoons the younger generation is into.
With each successful answer, the pawn will be moved. Whoever reaches the end of the board first wins and enjoys the wager. It’s a fun way to spend an evening learning about each other’s generation.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Beat The Parents Classic Family Trivia Game, Kids Vs Parents, with 25 Bonus Cards for Ages 6 and up... |
$14.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
The game has about 200 trivia and challenge cards, so you’ll be in for a long evening. There’s also a wager board (where the wager would be written), 25 bonus cards, and instructions.
Don’t worry; all the questions are family-friendly, so get this fantastic board game for a cheerful night.
Genre: Trivia
Number of Players: 8-12
Minimum Age Recommendation: 6 and up
Hasbro Gaming Clue: Wizarding World Harry Potter Edition
If your kids love Harry Potter, it’s a no-brainer which board game you should get. Hasbro Gaming Clue: Wizarding World Harry Potter Edition is where the magical world of Harry Potter and a classic “whodunit” story converge.
You’d be amazed by the design of the game, as the gameboard is inspired by the actual setting of Hogwarts, including the changing staircases, secret passages, magical doors, and even the Dark Mark.
The game’s main premise revolves around the players having to solve the mystery behind a student’s sudden disappearance. The star kids of the Gryffindor House are tasked with finding out who’s behind the crime.
The game consists of three Ws – Who, What, and Where. The players can choose from characters Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville, Ginny, and Luna and try to figure out WHO vanished, WHAT spell was cast, and WHERE the crime happened.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hasbro Gaming Clue: Wizarding World Harry Potter Edition Board Game | Family Games for Kids, Teens,... |
$30.72 |
Buy on Amazon |
You can play with cards and navigate through different rooms to narrow down the list of prospective criminals to one name.
It’s quite similar to the original Clue game that kids love to play, only with a pop culture twist. The board has very familiar places like the Trophy Room, the Owlery, and other prominent wizarding spots in Hogwarts.
Genre: Mystery
Number of Players: 3-5
Minimum Age Recommendation: 8 and up
Ravensburger Disney Jungle Cruise Adventure Game
Who doesn’t love an exciting adventure game in the jungle? A bonus if you’re also a Disney fan!
The Ravensburger Disney Jungle Cruise Adventure Game is an innovative board game with quite an interesting backstory to keep your family hooked for 45-60 minutes.
It’s an easy-to-learn game with a simple start to engross your family right from the get-go. The game has a lot of add-ons to keep it going, and your job is to successfully deliver the most valuable boat cargo and passengers to the Jungle Navigation Company Headquarters to win.
Beware of the perils of the jungle, as the dangers hidden in the forests could put your passengers at risk.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Ravensburger Disney Jungle Cruise Adventure Game for Ages 8 & Up - Amazon Exclusive |
$16.88 |
Buy on Amazon |
Finishing the whole game will indeed be worthwhile, and it can be played between 2-4 players. You’ll get the game board, dice, tokens, and cards in the box, along with the rulebook.
Don’t let so many cards overwhelm you. The easy-to-understand instructions will help you get the hang of the rules quite easily. The unique concept ensures your family won’t feel bored throughout the voyage because the jungle won’t let them!
Genre: Mystery and Adventure
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age Recommendation: 8 and up
Monopoly Board Game The Classic Edition
Monopoly is an all-time classic board game that almost every household has in its cabinet. So much so the game was even included in the National Toy Hall of Fame in 1998. That’s how prestigious and iconic this game is.
If you’re looking for a fun family game night but don’t want to learn anything from scratch and instead want to stick to the basics, then Monopoly Board Game The Classic Edition would be an excellent choice. I don’t think I need to explain the rules of this real-estate game. You buy, rent, and trade the world’s most famous properties.
The game’s agenda is to remain financially solvent while pushing your opponents to become bankrupt (yes, it sounds harsh, but rules are rules) by trading in real estate. Bankrupt players get eliminated, and the one who remains solvent till the end wins.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Monopoly The 1980's Edition With Original 1980's Artwork & Components incl. All Classic Tokens, by... |
$26.66 |
Buy on Amazon |
It can be played between 2 to 8 players, so it’s an excellent game for a big family night or a night out with friends. Let’s see who in your family is the best with money!
Genre: Money and Assets
Number of Players: 2-8
Minimum Age Recommendation: 8 and up
Scrabble Deluxe
Another classic that nearly every household usually has is Scrabble. If you don’t have Scrabble, what are you waiting for? It’s a fun game that can enrich your vocabulary, improve focus and memory, and build intellectual capacity.
If you have children in the house, playing Scrabble with them can be hugely advantageous. Scrabble Deluxe features a gorgeous solid wood game cabinet with a mahogany finish and an in-built turntable mechanism. The feature is used to smoothly turn the cabinet towards the next player for seamless gameplay.
Apart from the 100 letter tiles and 4 tile racks, you’d get a 3-minute sand-timer that times each player’s turn.
You can indulge in the world of letters and words and see who is the most well-versed in English vocabulary among your family members.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Scrabble Deluxe Edition with Rotating Wooden Game Board |
$129.00 |
Buy on Amazon |
The game also tests your tactical play, as you must employ your letters on the cabinet strategically to earn the most points and win the game.
If you’re looking for a game that’s not only fun but also intellectually stimulating, then look no further than Scrabble. It can be played between 2-4 players, so your whole family can be involved in the ultimate clash of words.
Genre: Word
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age Recommendation: 8 and up
The Settlers of Catan
Have you got a quick eye and a fast hand? Well, you have a shot at winning The Settlers of Catan while challenging your family. It’s a strategy game where you must collect resources to build cities and settlements.
This game tests your resource-management skills and can be intellectually stimulating while bringing a lot of amusement as you build roads and civilizations. Think Clash of Clans, only on the board.
Having the largest army and the longest road by earning victory points can get you closer to triumph. It’s also pretty easy to learn, so you can quickly teach anyone the rules of the game and get down to strategizing for 90 minutes.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
The Settlers of Catan | $68.80 | Buy on Amazon |
If you’re tired of the monotony of dice games, this game will provide you with a refreshing experience. It breaks the mundanity of moving the squares and challenges your brain.
The more you play, the better you get. Don’t worry, the board is variable, which makes each game a little different, so even the best players are kept on their toes.
The Settlers of Catan is a must-play for a healthy mental challenge and to teach the kids a lesson on resource management.
Genre: Strategy
Number of Players: 3-4
Minimum Age Recommendation: 10 and up
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – The Adventure Game
A fantastic cooperative adventure game with a thrilling backstory that’s bound to keep you hooked, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – The Adventure Game is a board game you can enjoy thoroughly with your family.
It’s a resettable legacy experience that takes you into the fantastical world of Skyrim, where you embark on an enthralling quest to protect the Empire of Tamriel. If you get the main player, you’ll don the role of a fearless adventurer who defeats the enemy to protect the empire and become triumphant.
This dungeon-crawling adventure game spans over six chapters with hundreds of hours of replayable gameplay to keep you engaged with the story.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – The Adventure Game | Dungeon Crawling Strategy Board Game for Adults... | 95 Reviews |
$92.35 |
Buy on Amazon |
It can be played between 1-4 players over the age of 14. As you progress through the game, you must build your character, upgrade your gear and equipment, explore the mighty dungeons, and traverse Skyrim to gain experience and find hidden treasures.
Not to mention, you’ll have to battle dragons and make strategic decisions to see whether you will live to tell the epic story of your adventures. The story might seem a bit overwhelming initially, but you’ll be hooked once you start playing.
Genre: Fantasy
Number of Players: 1-4
Minimum Age Recommendation: 14 and up
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective
Sherlock Holmes comes with another bang! In this game, you play as the world’s favorite detective and the Baker Street irregulars to solve mysterious and intriguing cases.
By interrogating the suspects, interpreting the clues that you get while walking the streets, and making careful decisions, you try to find the culprit. This is where your investigating skills will be put to the test. Can you decipher the clues and get closer to the truth with your comrades?
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective can be played between 1 to 8 players above the age of 12. You can choose from 10 exciting mysteries to solve with an average playtime of 90 minutes each.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective - The Thames Murders & Other Cases Board Game - Captivating... |
$45.28 |
Buy on Amazon |
Choose your mystery and take your sweet time to solve the case in this fun strategic game that engrosses you in the classic venue of London and the enchanting world of Sherlock Holmes.
Genre: Mystery
Number of Players: 1-8
Minimum Age Recommendation: 12 and up
Closing Thoughts
Board games can make family nights extra special. By adding some fun, laughter, and strategy into the mix, you can have an enjoyable and stimulating time with your family.
Whether you want to explore the halls of Hogwarts or the alleys of Baker Street, there are numerous options to choose from.
Before the start of each game, you can place your wager. These wagers can be as simple as who treats the entire family with a pizza. Doing this will add an entertaining twist to an otherwise mundane family game night.
Also, since we’re on the topic of casual games, did you know that Google has free games that are worth checking out?
